Immersion
by kuralove
Summary: Samantha had an ordinary life. That is, until her jealous older brother decided to trap Markiplier and Jacksepticeye in a virtual world, and throw her in with them. To escape, they must beat some of their most beloved games. But there's a twist: instead of using a controller, the three of them must physically traverse through the games themselves. Will they make it out alive?
1. Chapter 1

**Story Disclaimer: I do not own any of the games (and/or their respective characters) that will be mentioned in this story. I also do not own any YouTube material that may be referenced.**

 ****Author's Note (Please Read!): Hey guys, welcome to the story. Before you start, there are a few things you need to know. First of all, I won't be developing Sam's character very much. This is because I would like you as readers to put yourself in her shoes. Instead of reading about some girl who is lucky enough to go through this experience, I would like you to imagine that you are the main character, and everything in this story is happening to you. Since FF doesn't allow second person POV (aka "You" statements), I want this to be the closest thing to it, so you still feel like you are in the story. Secondly, I would like to make it clear that the character's opinions are not my own. I love both Mark and Jack to death, and I love them equally. Lastly, after reading this chapter it might seem like the story is going to be more Mark-oriented. I promise, the plot is focused around Jack and the main character. Just stick with me for a few chapters :) Enjoy!**

* * *

"speech"

 _thought_

* * *

"And as always, I will see you in the next video. Buh-bye!"

Sam closed her laptop with a smile. Watching Mark's videos always helped her wind down after a long day of school. She was nearing the end of her final year of college, and finals were looming over her head. Everything seemed to be moving so quickly, sometimes she felt like she was losing herself in the hustle and bustle of her life. But the moment she hit play on a Markiplier video, she could feel her stress melt away. Watching him act like a complete goofball on screen always made her laugh, and laughter was release that was much needed.

"Sam! Dinner!" her mother's voice cut into her train of thought.

"Coming!" she responded.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, her mother poked her head out from the kitchen. "Could you tell William that dinner is ready please?"

Visibly irritated, Sam turned around and bounded up the stairs. "Sorry…" she heard her mother say from the bottom.

Her older step brother was a disgusting human being. At 30 years old, the only thing he had accomplished in his life was becoming addicted to video games while living off of their parents' money and hospitality. He was rude, inconsiderate, and selfish. She couldn't stand him.

She knocked twice before opening the door. "Food's ready, Will."

For once, he didn't appear to be playing a video game. He was nose deep into one computer, while another computer was playing a video beside him. "Not hungry," he grunted.

Sam listened to the audio from his second computer and realized she recognized the voice. She heard the ending of an outro, "And I will see all you dudes in the next video!"

"Is that Jack?"

"What's it to you?" he snapped, glancing up from the first computer.

"You don't even like Jack."

"I don't like that piece of shit you call Markiplier either. But you know what they say," he pushed his glasses up his nose and refocused on his screen, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

She didn't like the sound of that. It sounded far more hostile than his normal snarkiness, and sent chills up her spine. "He's obviously not a piece of shit if he has close to 14 million subscribers. What do you have, like 10?" Her brother spent 99% of his time trying to make it big as a YouTube gamer. She had to admit, he was good at what he did, but she didn't believe he deserved the success he desired. YouTubers like Mark used their popularity to do good things for the world, while her brother was in it only for the money and fame.

"For your information, I have 109 subscribers. I'll probably make it to 110 by the end of the day." He turned to his second computer screen and sneered. "Jacksepticeye's channel is growing really fast, and he doesn't even make good content. He's not even good at gaming. None of these dimwits are."

Sam didn't really care for Jack; His style of commentary was a little too loud and rambunctious for her taste. However, she completely disagreed with her brother. Both Jack and Mark were experienced gamers, and deserved every subscriber they had.

"If these idiots were gone, people could spend more time focusing on REAL gamers, like me," Will said, clenching his fists.

"Well, maybe if you spent less time being a jealous prick and more time making better content and connecting with your subscribers, you'd get more attention. Mark and Jack are both decent, admirable gamers. Just deal with it." Sam ignored the malicious stare she received in response to her comment. "Anyway, like I said, food's ready."

Her brother rose to his feet and stood directly in front of her, putting one hand on the open door. Slowly, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I hope you're enjoying your little 'gamers' now, Sam. They won't be around for long." And with that, he slammed the door in her face.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Later that night, Sam lay awake in bed. It was two o'clock in the morning and she had class later that day, but her mind was racing. There was something extremely unsettling about the way her brother had spoken to her. The look in his eyes… his emotions looked deeper than normal jealousy. It seemed like he really, truly hated Jack with a burning passion. He exhibited a great amount of dislike for Mark as well, but the majority of the hatred seemed to be directed towards the former. As much of a low life as her step brother was, he was a mastermind. He was extremely skilled with technology. After reanalyzing the situation, she began to get worried. _I hope he isn't up to anything,_ she thought before she drifted into sleep.

* * *

 **I know intro/plot development chapters are a pain to get through, but I hope you enjoyed anyway. Feel free to leave a review, let me know how you like it so far :) Constructive criticism is always welcomed, it helps me develop my writing skills :) I also forgot to mention, I'll be using Jack instead of Sean for about half of the story. There's a reason for it, and if you're super duper curious as to why just ask and I'll be happy to explain it :) Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

_thought_

"speech"

* * *

One more final. If she could just get through one more final, she would be done. The other four had drained her mentally, physically, and emotionally. The throbbing pain behind her left eye reminded her that she hadn't taken a break from studying in the last 6 hours. Sighing, Sam closed her textbook and stood up. _Food. Food would definitely help._

She opened the door to find her step brother standing outside. His fist was extended as if he was about to knock. "Sam," he said with a suspicious smile, "Just who I wanted to see."

"I'm busy," she replied, sliding past him.

He followed her downstairs to the kitchen, and waited for her to finish preparing her meal before he continued. "How are you, sis?"

"What do you want?" Her brother had been treating her like crap from the moment their parents got married, and she wasn't buying his sudden "nice guy" bullshit.

"I was wondering if you could be my guinea pig for a project I've been working on."

"No."

"Oh come on, Sam. I know you have finals but…" Will paused and hung his head. His voice became considerably softer as he mumbled, "I'm a burden to this family, and I know it. I want to do something productive with my life, I want to make a change. I've been working on this new virtual reality headset. I know there are others on the market but mine is different. I think this could really be something big, but I just need someone to test it out first. Sam, please?"

She was extremely skeptical, but she had to admit he looked and sounded sincere. Everyone had to grow up eventually, and maybe he had finally reached that point. Although he had always been a selfish, lazy asshole, she knew that everyone had the potential to make a change in their lives. If her brother was truly willing to make that change, then she wouldn't mind helping a little. "Fine," she sighed, "but I only have about 20 minutes."

Will smiled. "That's all I need."

The inside of his room was messy, as usual. However, it didn't take long for Sam to notice a large headset that resembled a pair of goggles, and a small rectangular box connected to the headset by a cord. "Whoa."

"I know," he gloated. He took a seat on his bed and made space for Sam to sit down. "This box captures everything that happens inside the goggles. The box is wirelessly connected to my computer, so I can see the virtual world and everyone in it."

"There's an entire world in this thing? So it's a game in itself?" Sam inquired, picking up the headset.

"Well, sort of." Sam failed to notice the sinister grin plastered on her brother's face as she inspected his work. _Perfect,_ Will thought, _she oblivious._ "I have two more made, which I'm going to mail to two other, ah, testers."

"Well then what am I here for?"

"I need to make sure it works before I send them out. That being said, I need you to put that thing on, and I'll lock it in place."

Sam lifted the device onto her head, and adjusted it to rest comfortably over her eyes. She heard a click as Will locked it.

"Now, you might feel a bit of disorientation as you're being transported. But don't worry. It will all be over soon."

 _Transported?_ Sam was about to ask her brother to clarify when suddenly, she felt a jolt. She became extremely nauseated, and was on the brink of passing out. "Will, what…?" she tried to say. Then her world went black.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

It was 12 o'clock in the morning, the perfect time for a bowl of cereal. Mark stretched out his arms and legs before making his way to the kitchen. Everything had been recorded and edited, and he had already planned out his videos for the coming day. Now all he had left to do was check his email and social media, and then he could finally sleep. He smiled as he realized he was calm for once, not in his normal state of perpetual panic. _This is nice, I like this,_ he thought.

Mark opened up his email. He was scrolling through the ordinary business and developer emails when a particular subject caught his eye. "Virtual reality goggles," he read aloud. It had already been done by much bigger companies, leading him to wonder why this small creator decided to hop into the race so late. His curiosity got the better of him, and he hesitantly opened the message. It was from a company he had never heard of called WX Projects, and the text read, "Hello, Mark. We here at WX have developed a new virtual reality set. The set comes with a pair of Reality Goggles and a Reality Box. The goggles work in the same fashion as the other headsets on the market, while the box acts as a holding cell for the virtual world we have created. No controllers are needed. All Reality Boxes are connected to the same source, making the multiplayer experience very simple. If you are interested in being a tester for our product, feel free to reply to this email. However, we request that you do not feature our product on your YouTube channel. We would like to keep our development private, and have only chosen a select few to inform about this project. We hope to hear from you in the near future."

 _No controllers? How does that work?_ He was completely intrigued by the email, and had endless questions. How would one move around in-game? Was there even a game? The email only mentioned a "virtual world", but that had to be a game right? After slurping up the remains of his cereal, he sauntered into his room and climbed into bed. The email was still open on his phone, and the bright light of his screen illuminated his face as he reread the mysterious message. "Well WX, you've got my attention." He hesitated a moment before hitting "Reply".

* * *

 **Oh Mark, you poor soul xD If you're still here after the last chapter, thanks for sticking around :) If all goes as planned, next chapter should be the last plot development chapter. Then the real fun begins! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review if you're diggin the story! Reviews keep me motivated and help me to figure out how you guys feel about where the story is going! Also, don't forget to wish Mark a happy birthday!**


	3. Chapter 3

_thought_

"speech"

* * *

Sam awoke to something nudging her side. She tried to shake it off, assuming it was her mother trying to get her out of bed. _I'll be up in a little while, I won't be late I promise…_ The nudging was accompanied by heavy breathing. The breathing increased in volume until it became the neighing of a horse. Her eyes flew open, and the creature took a step back in surprise. Bewildered, Sam sat up and looked around. _Whoa,_ she thought, _this isn't my bedroom._ Suddenly, the memories came flooding back. Her step brother, the goggles, the nausea... _Oh shit._

"Will?" she yelled. No response. The horse jumped at the sound of her voice. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She extended her hand to the beast, and it slowly began to come toward her. She stroked its soft fur and placed a small kiss on its nose. "Good girl." Sam knew the horse, and after scanning her surroundings, she knew exactly where she was. Something wasn't right. "Will!"

"Hmm?" came the response. It seemed to be coming from everywhere around her.

"Okay, it works, but I hope this is just the environment you're using to test it out. Plus, that 'transfer' or whatever needs to be a lot smoother."

"Nope, this is the finished product."

"What?" Sam exclaimed. "This has 'copyright lawsuit' written all over it. You know this game already exists. You didn't even try to tweak it, this is the _exact_ same game."

"I know it is."

She looked at the ceiling in confusion. What was he thinking?

"And the transfer," he continued, "Went as planned."

"Okay whatever, I tested it, it works. How do I get out?"

"You have to beat the game."

"Will, look, I don't have time for this. I said 20 minutes; I have to get back to studying."

A sinister cackle was heard from above. Her brother sneered, "Oh, Sam. So naive. Try to take your goggles off."

She sighed and lifted her hands to her face, but nothing was there. "They're… they're not here."

"Of course not. You see Sam, my machine is different than others. You are not simply playing a game. Your entire consciousness has been transferred into your reality box. Your entire being, everything that you are and ever will be is in the virtual world. And until you win every single game, this is where you will remain. When you win, the box returns your consciousness to your body through your headset." He paused, and let out a satisfied sigh. "It's brilliant."

"William, are you crazy? What if someone keeps trying but can't win? Why the hell would you make a product that literally traps the player inside?"

"Because that is exactly what I want it to do."

Sam shivered. She didn't like where this was going at all.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Sam. I don't intend to release this into the public. The way I've set this up, it should be impossible to beat."

"Then why the actual hell would you ask me to-"

"Because you've been in my way for too long."

She froze. "What?"

"Ever since my dad married your mom you've been a thorn in my side. All I hear is 'I wish you would be more like Samantha', 'Sam did this', 'Sam did that', 'Sam's getting a degree'. I'm SICK OF IT!" he roared. "With you out of the way, I can move on with my life without being constantly compared and belittled."

"You're fucking crazy!" she screamed, "You can't do this! They'll wonder where I am-"

"Oh don't worry, I have the perfect story planned out. All you have to do is focus on beating my virtual world. Which you won't."

 _Okay. Stay calm, Sam._ She took several deep breaths, and looked around. Outside, the sun was beaming down on the seemingly endless terrain. A tall, thin bridge loomed over the land. If this was really happening, she wasn't going to let him get the best of her. "You said 'every single game' earlier. This looks like one game to me."

"This is only the first game."

"Explain," she growled.

Her brother laughed, a devious sound that made her hairs stand on end. "Someone's upset. I suppose it's only fair to let you know how this works. My virtual world is filled with games. When you complete one, a portal will open to take you to the next one. If you want to escape, you have to win them all."

"And if I die?"

"Depends on the game. In some, you'll spawn at the last checkpoint. In others, you have to start from the beginning. You know how games work, Sam."

 _So I have infinite chances. Okay, I can do this,_ she thought.

"Oops, I forgot one tiny detail. I figured it would be much too easy if you could just respawn all over the place, so I added a little twist while programming. You have 5 lives. Period. They don't replenish when you start a different game, and you can't earn more. Sorry," he giggled. "But when that last life vanishes, so does your consciousness… Forever."

Sam could do nothing but gaze into the air, eyes wide and mouth gaping. Sure, they didn't get along, but she never imagined that he hated her enough to want to seal her away forever. "Why… You did all of this just to torture me? We couldn't just talk about it like normal freaking people?"

"Oh no, don't flatter yourself. I have something much bigger in mind for this project. I told you I had two additional testers, remember? There are two more individuals that I need to do away with so I can acquire the fame and recognition I deserve."

Her eyes widened as she realized what he meant. "You can't be serio-"

"And to answer your second question," he interrupted, "I've always been more of a doer than a talker. That being said, I'll be on my way. Hey, at least you won't be alone in there. You'll have a couple of friends joining you _very_ soon. Well, it sucked knowing ya, sis."

Sam heard a few buttons being pressed before he parted with, "Tell Mark and Jack I said hello!"

* * *

 **Cookie for anyone who can guess which game Sam is in. Alright! PD chapters are done. It's all uphill from here. Once again, if you made it this far, thanks for sticking around! Drop a review for me! The adventure begins... NEXT CHAPTER! (Also, the chapters will begin to get a little longer from here on out. Stick around! :D)**


	4. Chapter 4

"speech"

 _thought_

* * *

The WX Virtual Reality Set arrived at his doorstep in a simple black box. There were no words or pictures to give him a sneak peek at what he would be testing, which he found odd. _Well, I guess that makes sense. It's still in the developmental stages,_ he thought, carrying it inside.

Jack was more excited than he was willing to admit. He already had virtual reality products, but there was something special about this one. He could feel it. Grabbing a knife from the kitchen, he hastily cut away the tape holding the box together. Upon opening it, the first thing he noticed was that there were no instructions inside. The contents consisted of the goggles and the Virtual Reality Box, nothing more. "Okay, well, looks simple enough," he said, lifting the rectangular object. There was a single jack on the reality box, which he assumed was used to connect the headset. Puzzled, he snapped the cord into place and carried the contraption to his room.

"Hey," he said, answering his ringing cell phone, "I just got the set."

"Already? That was fast," Mark replied on the other end. "So do you want to do this thing today then?"

After expressing their interest in testing the set, both Jack and Mark received a second email asking them to test out the multiplayer capabilities. The email informed each of them that the other would be testing the product as well, and suggested they review it together. Now that Jack had received his copy, there was nothing stopping them from doing just that. "Yeah, give me a second. I'll call you on Skype."

A few minutes later they were ready to go. Jack watched Mark through the screen as he fiddled with the device. "It looks kinda weird."

"Yeah, I guess they were trying to be creative by making the headset a pair of goggles, but it just looks and feels like shit," Mark critiqued.

"Well, let's just get it over with." Jack adjusted the Reality Goggles on his head. The feeling of his long eyelashes flicking against the glass immediately started to annoy him. "Agh, this is uncomfortable as all hell."

"I told you. Alright, let's go in on three. One, two…"

Jack's finger hovered over the power button as he waited for Mark's command.

"Three!"

He pressed the button, and after a few moments he instantly regretted it. "Oh, God," he mumbled. Nausea overcame him, and he gripped his table to keep from keeling over.

"What kind of bullshit is this?" he heard Mark slur. Then, his consciousness slowly faded away.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Jack. Jack!"

The Irish man was startled awake by his American friend. "Mark? Did it work?"

"Uhh yeah, but..."

Jack slowly stood to his feet and took a look around. _Wait… This is…_

"Isn't this Shadow of the Colossus? I didn't know WX made this," Mark commented.

"They didn't." Jack took in the familiar landscape and eerie building he had grown to love. The stone bed and looming statues were in their proper places, but Agro, the protagonist's horse, was nowhere to be seen. Neither was his maiden, or the Ancient Sword.

"Welp," Mark put his hands on his hips, and let out an exasperated sigh, "I hope they're okay with being sued."

"It's the exact same game. What are they thinking?" Even if they were just using the game to test their product, WX could get in serious trouble.

Jack suddenly realized something. He walked to the circle of sunlight in the room and looked up, expecting to hear a voice. But, nothing happened. He frowned. "That's odd. Dormin should be talking to us by now. Did they cut out the beginning of the game?"

"Are we sure there even is a game? Maybe we're just supposed to walk around and check if it works." Mark offered.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." The Ancient Sword was a significant component in the game. Without it, most players wouldn't be able to find the colossi. But Jack wasn't like most players. He knew this game from the inside out. Travelling would be difficult without Agro, but he believed they could manage. He bounded up the steps, a look of determination on his face. "The first colossus is that way."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Sam had never ridden a horse in her life, but thankfully, Agro was being cooperative. As they galloped toward the first colossus, the weight of her situation began to worry her. She had so many questions, but no one to answer them. How many games would she have to go through? Had Mark and Jack already been sucked in? Would they really be gone forever if they lost? Would she? It was all so… disorienting.

The sound of a loud roar interrupted her thoughts, and she realized she had made it to the large body of rock that would lead her to her first opponent. Carefully, she climbed down from Agro's back, and gave her a pat. "Stay here, okay? I'll be back… hopefully." She had never seen a full playthrough of Shadow of the Colossus, and honestly had no idea how to win. But at this rate, she had no choice but to figure it out. The Ancient Sword glistened in her grip. The beast was near, she just had to find a way to reach it. A patch of ivy on the rocks caught her attention. If she knew anything about video games, it was that if something stood out, it was probably useful. Sure enough, the vines were strong enough to support her weight, and she hoisted herself up to a ledge. _Woo, I'm out of shape…_ Studying for hours on end didn't leave much time for the gym, but luckily her athletic build permitted her to maneuver her way to her destination.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, her eyes widened with astonishment. She had seen screenshots of the game before, and the colossi had never really impressed her. But standing a few feet away from the giant beast completely changed her perspective. It was, well, colossal. Larger than anything she had ever laid her eyes on. Remembering what she had to do, she quickly snapped out of her daze and prepared her bow and arrow. _Well, here goes nothing._ She pulled back, and released the arrow into the air. It landed square on the beast's back, startling it. Her heart began to race as the colossus slowly turned to face her. _Here we go._

"Hey big guy. Don't mind me, just gonna shoot at you, no big deal." She let the arrows fly, one after another. Some hit their mark, and some didn't. But one thing was for sure - they weren't affecting the beast at all. If anything they were just making him angry. A quick look over her shoulder told her she was approaching the edge of the cliff. He was coming for her, and she was running out of room to back up.

"Hold up thy sword to reflect the light onto the colossus. Its vitals shall be revealed…" A voice said. It was the same voice she had heard at the temple earlier. Dormin, it was called.

"Its vitals? What?"

Sam didn't have time to process the instructions. The colossus raised its club and prepared to strike. "Oh shit… SHIT!"

She dove to the right, just in time to avoid the earth-shattering crash of the giant club against the rocky terrain. The sound nearly blew her eardrums out, and for a moment all she could do was lay on the ground. She considered climbing back down the cliff, but the beast was already making its way toward her again. She wouldn't have time. Not to mention she was too shocked to move. _I have 5 lives, right? Maybe I should just take the loss this time and start over. I could be extra careful with the other 4…_

"HEY!"

The shout came from below. She poked her head over the edge to see two concerned faces gazing up at her. It didn't take long for her to realize who it was.

"Stab his calf! The calf!" Jack yelled.

 _The calf?_ The colossus was preparing for its next swing. It was now or never.

Sam sprung into action. She raced in between the beast's legs, narrowly escaping the second swing. Once again, the sound staggered her, but not long enough for her to lose her opportunity. A glowing blue light was visible on the creature's left calf, and after a strenuous climb up the creature's fur, she plunged the Ancient Sword into its flesh with all her might. A strange black liquid spewed from the wound, and the beast fell onto one knee. _Is he dead?_

"Climb!"

Sam turned her head to see Jack running toward her while Mark hoisted himself over the cliff. "Climb where?" she yelled back.

"Up! Up to the head!" he came to a stop near the creature's foot. "The other weak spot is right on the top of its noggin. You'll have to stab it a few times but after that he should be down for the count."

 _The head? All the way up there?_ She couldn't see the top of the creature from her angle, but she could see a set of platforms along its back. That would be her next destination. "Got it!"

With a great leap she attached herself to the giant's backside and slowly made her way up. The climb wasn't easy - the wind was blowing and the creature's movements threatened to throw her off at any moment. Still, she knew she had to keep going. The platforms offered a quick breather, but she had no time to waste. Every second lost here was time lost in the real world, and there was no way in hell she was going to miss her last final.

The creature's upper back was level for the most part, allowing her to stand. She could see her target - a glowing blue light on the top of its head, right where Jack said it would be.

"Well, you put up a good fight." Sam positioned herself over the weak spot and raised the sword. Just as she was about to strike, the colossus gave a mighty shake, causing her to fall over. A last minute grab of the creature's fur saved her from falling to her demise. After regaining her bearings, she got into position once more. Before the colossus could shake again. She stabbed him square in the middle of his head. The creature let out a booming roar, and she struck it once more. The black liquid spewed up around her, and the glowing light began to dim.

"Once more!" she faintly heard Jack yell.

With a shout, Sam plunged the sword deep into the creature's skull one last time, and waited for the reaction.

The roars ceased, and the colossus's glowing eyes turned black. Sam felt air rushing past her ears, but it wasn't just the wind. She realized with horror that the colossus was falling - while she was still on top.

"Hey! Jump!" she heard from below. This time it was Mark. "I'll catch you!"

"And if you don't?"

"Just trust me!"

The ground was fast approaching, she had to make a choice. _H_ _ere goes nothing,_ she thought. Then she jumped.

* * *

 **Soooo it's literally been exactly 6 months since I've updated this and I'm sorry :/ The Fall '16 semester nearly killed me and I legit almost lost my motivation for writing completely. BUT I took this amazing creative writing course this semester, and by the end I had a newfound love for the practice, and now I'm back and better than ever :D Honestly my readers are my heart and I hate to disappoint, if I ever take this long again feel free to PM or email me, I don't bite :)**


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